Research Review

For my paper, I will be researching and expanding my previous essay on how to reduce and repurpose trash consumption. This research paper will also include on how reducing trash and finding ways to repurpose it will benefit the earth in various ways. In final draft submitted, a few silly mistakes stuck out to me that I will have to go in and fix for the final research paper, such as MLA 8 formatting, editing grammar, going into depth, and point of view issues. I will have to go in and do additional research with academic scholarly journals to provide further details and topics to discuss. I feel more comfortable expanding this essay because there are so many ideas that I can go into depth about with this topic.

My research paper will discuss ways of reducing, reusing and recycling along with benefits of these actions.

(http://www.tvwatershed.org/reduce-reuse-recycle/)

My introduction needed to be "developed" and expanded. I am going to build up a strong sense of direction with my introduction and make more topic ideas to discuss in my research paper. This will give my paper a good foundation to build up on and lengthen my paper to go into great depth. I am going to outline my paper by describing what I am trying to say in my thesis statement. I feel very confident in my thesis statement but I just need to embellish more afterwards to create a clear understanding of my topic and how I will relate my resolutions to my themes.

I am going to embellish my introduction to be more clear.

(http://www.comlib.org/event/ymca-creative-writing-workshop/)\

In my actual paper, I experienced some grammar issues. I will have to go back in and edit them before I even start expanding my research paper. This is important to a successful paper because it provides a clear understanding to the paper because it will be grammatically correct. Some of my mistakes included, commas, tense issues, pronoun references, and pluralization. Most of these errors were silly overlooked mistakes due to not proofreading my rough or final drafts. Another issue I noticed in my grading rubric and essay was incorrect use of audience and point of view. I unknowingly used "you" not realizing that I should have stuck to a general point of view using the word "people" instead. I also noticed I used the word "[t]his" when I could have easily fixed this mistake to the word "[u]pcycling". This act would have shown and provided more clarity to the sentence for the audience to understand what I was inferring. Another big part to my paper will be going into depth and clarifying my thoughts by expanding on them in the body. I wasn't too clear on them but I will be this time around. These mistakes could have easily been pinpointed and fixed if I had just taken the little to no time to reread all the text that I typed.

Editing will make a big improvement to my research paper alone.

(http://www.clker.com/clipart-editing.html)

On the body, I will focus on clarifying some topics that were too broad and didn't provide much information. I had an issue with going into depth but I will definitely expand this time around in my research paper for exactness. Also, I will have to go in and add five or more academic scholarly research journals for further investigation and more information on my topics and subjects. These sources are very reliable because they aren't random articles posted on the internet because they are peer reviewed and published for researching purposes. These sources will tie my research paper together and apply better understanding for the audience.

In my works cited paper, I needed to list out the actual page numbers of the essays and not the actual page number of the quote that I cited. This act will show the audience the physical pages of the essay to find it in a book. I also needed to refrain from repeating information when citing the same anthology but different passages. This information included, the title and publication information of the book. I also need to correct a few minor errors on my new works cited page that I brought into class for the academic journal citations. These small tweaks will change my research paper for the better.

This is an example of citing an anthology.

(http://lib.pstcc.edu/c.php?g=106731&p=693754)

Trash Talk

We have to reduce our carbon footprint.

 (http://csrperspective.com/tag/carbon-footprint/)

This trash examination made me realize that I am not doing everything in my power to reduce my rash production. There is still so much that we can do to lower the amount of trash that we produce. If we change a couple of our daily tasks, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

One thing I noticed in my trash bag was that we use a lot of plastic utensils and paper plates. My family and I can easily switch to only glass dishes and metal utensils. This act alone could save a lot of money for my family. It could also save a lot of trees and reduce the amount of trash we produce significantly. It does not require much commitment. All we have to do is wash a few more dishes a day to make a big difference in our world.

Another thing that I noticed was that my family and I throw away a lot of food. A lot of the food is just everyday scraps. We could easily make a compost pile o make organic soil. We can use the organic compost soil for the fruits and vegetables in our backyard. Our fruits and vegetables would benefit because it would make the soil richer. The earth would also benefit because composting would reduce incineration and emissions.

This is a compost pile.
(http://home.howstuffworks.com/gardening/garden-design/preparing-garden-soil4.htm)

I always recycle but I didn't realize that my family and I throw out so many recyclable items because they just do not it into our recycling bin. I found many aluminum cans and cardboard that could have easily been recycled. The city gave everyone a big bin to recycle plastics, aluminum cans and glass. We fill up that big bin once a week to the point where it overflows because we use so many recyclable items.

We should all recycle.
(http://www.stratasys.com/customer-support/customer-resource-center/recycling-center)

I also noticed that we consumed many plastic bags from grocery shopping and shopping in general. We can buy and use reusable mesh/canvas bags for groceries because they are inexpensive and will stop the use of plastic bags in our household. This small act will fill up less space in landfills and encourages younger generations such as my siblings to take care of the earth. 

My recycling habits began while I was very young in the fifth grade. My counselor promoted recycling a lot so she started the "Green Team". I quickly joined and began collecting recycling from classrooms. My habits stuck from then on out. I joined the "Go Green Club" in high school. We collected and recycled ink cartridges, plastic bottles, paper, and cardboard boxes. We reused copy paper boxes to use as collection boxes for our plastic bottles. 

I will be passing these habits on to make children in the future to better the world. It is important that they understand the importance of taking care of our earth. In a month or so, my family and I will create a compost pile and hopefully using reusable bags.

Puzzle Pieces

When we go out to eat, we never think about how our meal got to us in the first place. In a way, it fits together like puzzle pieces. Our meals go through a series of events to end up on a plate in front of us. The average American eats out about four to five times a week. We ingest these meals without thinking of all the additives and harmful chemicals added to the meat to sell for more money.

High fructose corn syrup is a manmade sweetener used in processed foods.

(http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup.htm)

This past week in class, I watched "King Corn" in class and I learned that many calves are born grass fed then given to feedlots to be held in a small caged lot. In the feedlots, they are fed grains covered in high fructose corn syrup. They have nowhere to go and gain a lot of weight and aren't allowed to roam around like grass fed cattle. The cattle are forced to trudge around in their own feces for about on average one hundred and twenty days on a grain diet. Cows are known to get stomach ulcers if they are not slaughtered and taken off of the diet. It is more convenient for everyone because they gain weight in less time but they are sold with 9 grams of saturated fat on steak whereas grass fed cattle steak contain 1.3 grams of saturated fat.

King Corn (2007)

(http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/king-corn-you-are-what-you-eat/)

From my food journal, I noticed that I eat out a lot. I do not have a very close relationship with the food I consume. I get all of my food from Kroger, a Mexican meat market in town, my backyard, my grandparent's yard and local restaurants here in town. The only immediate everyday connection with my food at home is fruits and vegetables from my backyard and my grandparents' garden. In my backyard, we grow: oranges, plums, limes, tomatoes and jalapeños. In my grandparents' yard, they grow a very vast variety of fruits and vegetables. The main crops we get from them are: cacti, grapefruits, mangoes, pears, peaches, cilantro, mint, limes and my personal favorite loquats. I love almost all fruits and vegetables, I have never been very picky. I would love to visit a local farmer's market for crops that are not in season and we do not grow.

Loquats grow in bunches. My family and I call them "nisperos" in Spanish.

(http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/lawn_garden/home_gardening/trees_shrubs/growing-loquats-in-louisiana)

Another close connection I share with my food is when my dad or uncle go hunting. They process their meat and share it with my family members and at barbecues. They make burgers filled with jalapeños and sausage links with their deer meats. I look forward to this time of year because it is hunting season and we can have more fresh lean meat throughout the end of the year.

This resembles the packaging.

(http://ronkulas.proboards.com/thread/50/venison-summer-sausage)

My connection with my meals is a bit half and half but I hope to strengthen it in the near future. I want to make my connection more immediate with my food. I love gardening and producing my own fruits and vegetables. Hopefully, I will get to plant for fruits and vegetables this upcoming spring or summer.

I want to make gardening a part-time hobby in the near future.

(http://www.blisstree.com/2014/09/25/food/vegan-diet-pros-cons/)

Some Food for Thought

I have never really given a second thought to what I eat. This assignment really opened my eyes to what I ingest on a daily basis. People, including myself, live very poor lifestyles because we are all so busy and want everything immediately. Fast food is very convenient but it is killing us and making us very unhealthy.

This is similar to the food journal I created for myself.

(https://www.vitalsignswellness.com/07/lessons-learned-by-a-recovering-foodaholic-part-2/food-journal/

For my assignment, I kept a food journal over the course of six days. One of my observations was that I skipped at least one meal everyday. This isn't for "dieting" purposes or anything, I just never have time to eat because I am always on the go. Skipping meals can be very unhealthy because it deprives the body of essential nutrients. It can lead to serious health issues like type two diabetes and gastro-esophageal disease, also known as GERD, just to name a few of many possibly life threatening diseases. Type two diabetes is common to get when skipping meals because their insulin levels are high and they can't lower their blood sugar levels. GERD is also common to get because skipping meals decreases formation rate in digestive enzymes. Many people just do not have the time to prepare a healthy meal and actually sit down to enjoy it.

These are a few effects of skipping meals.

(http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-skipping-meals-make-you-gain-weight.html)

Another observation from my food journal was that I tend to eat more fast food than usual with school and my busy everyday life because it is fast, cheap and convenient. Little to no effort is needed to grab a bite from fast food chain restaurants. It may be more convenient, but it is extremely unhealthy. We knowingly feed ourselves chemicals, make ourselves sick and give ourselves chronic diseases. Another observation that ties into the last is that, I tend to eat a lot of processed foods. The only fresh foods I mainly consume are fruits and vegetables because even meats and everyday foods are processed. Even though these fruits and veggies are fresh, they still contain GMO's, genetically modified foods.

Fast food is the main cause of obesity.

(https://www.theodysseyonline.com/fast-food-secrets)

To sum it all up, I don't consider myself a healthy eater but I would love to change that about myself.
Some days will be harder than others but it will all be worth it in the long run. At, home I mostly eat Mexican food and fast food. Being Mexican doesn't really make eating healthy easier because many things are fried and/or greasy. I find myself mostly eating processed foods because many healthy, organic alternatives are more on the pricey side. Products with GMO's and preservatives are cheaper to produce than natural products because natural products take more time and energy to grow than genetically modified crops. My mom mainly prepares our meals but I cook thirty percent of the time by myself and for myself. Cooking is somewhat challenging for me but I like the outcome of it and providing for others. Grocery shopping is okay to me but the challenging part is sticking to a meal plan and not buying a lot of junk that you are more tempted to buy because they look more appetizing. Our meals are not very planned the only planning that takes place is in the stores when deciding what to prepare on what day and the in-betweens. My eating habits are motivated and determined by what is cheap and what is fast to prepare. I would love to change what I eat and my proportions because I think that would make me feel more energized throughout my day and in the long run, my life.

Bumble Bees and Pickerel Weeds

Last Friday, I visited Sheldon Lake State Park in northeast Harris County. My classmates and I took a thirty minute drive out to the location. We were then taken on a tour with a couple park rangers down the boardwalk in the prairie and up an observation tower. We saw many different types of flowers, grasses and trees. I didn't know what to expect on this trip because I don't think I had ever seen a prairie.

Sheldon Lake State Park 14140 Garrett Road, Jacinto City, Tx.

(All pictures on this post were taken by me.)

On our personal tour down the boardwalk, we were told the history of the prairie and the restoration that is still taking place. The land was once a prairie that was plowed flat to become a farm and reservoir during World War II. The land was then purchased and is undergoing restoration to again become a prairie with native plants and animals. The many dragonflies seen buzzing around are a sign of a thriving ecosystem. Although they want the prairie to contain native plants, many invasive weeds and Chinese tallow seeds get dragged around the prairie. People's boots, tools and tires bring in a lot of invasive seeds when planting around the prairie causing them to sprout in unlikely places.

The prairie is 2,502.2 acres.

Another part of their restoration included making man-made potholes and mima mounds. Mima mounds are dome shaped rises in the ground. On our tour, I learned that prairies are prone to seasonal flooding. This flooding keeps the fish from overpopulating and killing off their food source. Wetlands can go dry in the summer so the fish population temporarily decreases allowing the frog population to increase. Thankfully, there weren't many mosquitoes because gambuzzi fish and dragonflies eat them. An interesting fact that I caught my attention is that about every three years, they burn about 50 acres so new plant life can grow.

Above is a mima mound in the upper left corner.

Moving out way along the boardwalk, we saw many dragonflies and bumblebees among the pickerel weeds, milkweeds and crimson-eyed rose mallow. The bumble bees are native to prairies and pollinate wild flowers. My favorite flowers were the purple pickerel weeds and the white crimson-eyed rose mallow. Volunteers plant milkweed flowers because monarch butterfly larvae feed on them. In total, they plant around 10,000 plants a year. They have a plant-a-thon event where volunteers come out and plant 2,000-3,000 plants in a single day. I would love to join them because I love flowers.

Pickerel Weed (Pontederia Cordata)

Crimson-Eyed Rose Mallow(Hibiscus Mosheutos)

After our guided tour was over, we walked across the road to a large field where the John Jacob Observation Tower is. There were around ninety to one hundred steps up the tower to get to the top. There were two hawk watchers up in the tower surveying the amount of hawks in the sky. The week before we went, they had seen a bald eagle up there. The view was amazing up there and it was definitely worth the walk up to see the nature from above.

John Jacob Observation Tower

The view from the front of the tower.

The view from the back of the tower.

Another view from the back of the tower.

I didn't have any expectations because I wasn't really sure what I was walking into but I'm glad I came on this trip. It really opened my eyes because I never knew you could restore land back to what it was before. I definitely didn't expect to see so much free land. I learned that together, we can restore land in large quantities and bring native plants and animals back into their homes. I will definitely come back in the near future with friends or family to show them the beauty of Sheldon Lake State Park.

Nights in Lake O' the Pines

My favorite outdoor place is a lake house in Lake O' the Pines, Texas. Lake O' the Pines is a small town home to a little less than 6,000 residents. It's owned by an old friend's family. They would always invite my family and I with them in the summer, fall and winter. We fished, made bonfires, rode in boats and swam in the lake.

Lake O' the Pines, Tx.

(photos.invasiveswatch.org)

When fishing, we would go down the long hill to the lake and sit on the pier connected to the boat dock. We fished with live bait and we were told that we had to rub sticks together in order for the worms to come out of the ground to pick. It sounds ridiculous looking back at it now but of course we believed anything because we were four to seven years in age. My brother still brings up the time I casted my fishing pole and caught his shirt on the hook and almost dragged him into the water.

I've always loved fishing and I still do to this day.

(farm7.staticflickr.com)

On the boat dock, there were two boats, a pedal boat and a motorboat. The pedal boat was a bright cherry red that I can distinctly remember. It was a four-seater but we were so little that my friend, her sister, brother and I could all pile into the back. One day, my dad took my brother, my mom and I in the motorboat around the lake for a long time to just explore and enjoy the view. Later that day, my friend's dad had the same idea but about five minutes in on the other side of the lake, we heard the engine cut out from the pier where we were waiting for them.

The boat dock looked similar to this one.

(wahoodocks.files.wordpress.com)

One of my favorite memories there with my friend was making leaf piles and jumping into them. The orange leaves were my absolute favorite they really caught my eye. There was a combination of pine needles and actual leaves because there was a variety of trees all around us. There was a distinct smell of pine from the pine trees. You could smell it inside; it's like you could never get away from it.

I love orange leaves because fall is my favorite season.

(colourbox.com)

The actual house sat on a long hill right next to the lake. I don't really remember the inside of the lake house because I was always outside enjoying nature and my surroundings. There was never a dull moment and that's what I love most about being there.

Though my memory is hazy, this is a close replica to the wooden house.

(builddirect.com)

In the summer, the weather was a bit warm but not extremely hot like the Houston area. It was perfect weather for swimming in the lake. If I were to go back today, I wouldn't swim because of my fear of the unknown but I'm glad I was fearless and naïve as a small child. The fall and winter were nice and cool. We made bonfires roasting marshmallows almost every night.

Swimming was one of my favorite memories there.

(lakechamplainregion.com)were

Towards night fall, my friend's mom would turn on stringed bulb lights on poles down the hill. They were there to provide light to get to and from the house and the lake. It was pitch black at night because the only light that was out was the moon hidden by the trees. I loved being out at night because you could actually see the stars out by the lake since there wasn't pollution over there.

They lights remind me of a Pinterest outdoor wedding.

(likeasaturday.com)

On nights leading up to our departure, my friend's dad and my dad would light up big fireworks along the grass next to the lake. The rest of us sat on the side of the hill and watched in awe. I imagine that's a very dangerous thing to do considering the amount of massive trees surrounding us but I would do just about anything to see it again.

I used to really love fireworks as a young kid.

(northscapephotography.com)

I haven't been to the lake house since Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita hit back in 2005 when I was seven years old. I'm sure a lot has changed since then but that will never change the way I felt being there.

Fall and winter nights were the best in my opinion.

(highlandscurrent.com)